Huntsville Cancer Support Walk 2018 Relay for Life

Join Us in the Fight Against Cancer! Huntsville Cancer support walk 2018 Relay for Life Cancer Support meets 5-19-18 at 4:00 at 100 North Side Square.

Relay for Life is an annual event celebrated not just in Huntsville, AL but in cities around the world. What began as one man’s quest to make a difference has grown to the largest fundraising event for cancer in the world.

Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Washington, wanted to help raise funds for his local American Cancer Society. He decided he would raise money by doing something he enjoyed—running. In May 1985, Dr. Klatt circled a track for 24 hours and ran more than 83 miles. He raised $27,000. Inspired by his success, Dr. Gordy worked to develop Relay for Life into a spark that lit the world on fire. Today, Relay for Life is structured around teams. Anyone can form a team and teams can be as large as one or 100+.

What inspires Therapy Achievements is our patients. We are touched by their grace, generosity, tenacity and bravery. Join our team in the fight against cancer! We are selling Raffle tickets for a basket of gift cards valued at over $100. Tickets are $2.00 and are available at both of our clinics – 802 Shoney Drive and Clearview Cancer Institute.

We hope to see you at the Huntsville Cancer Support Walk 2018 Relay for Life! You can make the difference.

Head and Neck Cancer Support Group Meets 2018

Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer Support Group meets 2018. SPOHNC is a cancer support group that meets on the 1st Wednesday of the month from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Clearview Cancer Institute. They have a speaker on a topic of interest to people with oral, head and neck cancer and time to socialize and share.

Wed July 11

Wed Aug 1

Wed Sept 5

Wed Oct 3

Wed Nov 7

Wed Dec 5

Knowledge is truly empowering

Knowing as much as you can about cancer, how to manage it and what to expect has an empowering effect. Knowledge can help maximize therapeutic outcomes by promoting adherence to treatment and enhance your quality of life. In addition to attending the SPOHNC Support Group, The SPOHNC organization offers an extensive variety of programs, services, resources and connection opportunities for people living with and affected by cancer, including family members, caregivers and other members of their support systems.

Benefits of Support Groups

One of the biggest advantages of support groups is helping a person realize that he or she is not alone — that there are other people who have the same problems. Being in a support group can also help you develop new skills to relate to others. In addition, the members of the group who have the same problems can support each other and may suggest new ways of dealing with a particular problem.

Huntsville Multiple Sclerosis Support Walk 2018

We had the best time at the Huntsville Multiple Sclerosis Support Walk 2018! Thanks to all the Therapy Achievements staff and their families for their hard work and support of this great cause. Last year alone, the MS Society invested nearly $50 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world while providing program services to over one million people. Research is aimed at finding the cause of MS, finding more treatments and, ultimately, ending the disease forever. By working together, we can end MS.

Multiple Sclerosis Facts:

Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS).

The CNS is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

In Multiple Sclerosis, the body’s immune system does not recognize the central nervous system as belonging to the body. Instead, views the CNS as not belonging – much like it views bacteria and viruses.

To protect itself from something that “doesn’t belong”, the immune system causes inflammation.

Inflammation damages myelin — the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers — as well as the nerve fibers themselves.

When myelin or nerve fibers are damaged or destroyed in Multiple Sclerosis, messages within the CNS are altered or stopped completely.

Damage to areas of the CNS may produce a variety of neurological symptoms that will vary among people with MS in type and severity

The damaged areas develop scar tissue which gives the disease its name – multiple areas of scarring or multiple sclerosis.

The cause of MS is not known, but it is believed to involve genetic susceptibility, abnormalities in the immune system and environmental factors that combine to trigger the disease.

Types of Multiple Sclerosis

People with Multiple Sclerosis typically experience one of three disease courses: relapsing-remitting, secondary-progressive, or primary-progressive.

Relapsing Remitting MS: this is the most common disease course and approximately 85 percent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS.

It is characterized by clearly defined attacks of new or increasing neurologic symptoms. These attacks – also called relapses or exacerbations – are followed by periods of partial or complete recovery (remissions).

During remissions, all symptoms may disappear, or some symptoms may continue and become permanent. However, there is no apparent progression of the disease during the periods of remission.

Relapsing remitting MS can be further characterized as either active (with relapses and/or evidence of new MRI activity) or not active, as well as worsening (a confirmed increase in disability over a specified period of time following a relapse) or not worsening.

Most people who are diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS will eventually transition to a secondary progressive course in which there is a progressive worsening of neurologic function (accumulation of disability) over time.

Secondary progressive MS can be further characterized at different points in time as either active (with relapses and/or evidence of new MRI activity) or not active,as well as with progression (evidence of disease worsening on an objective measure of change over time, with or without relapses) or without progression.

Primary progressive MS (PPMS): Primary progressive MS is characterized by worsening neurologic function (accumulation of disability) from the onset of symptoms, without early relapses or remissions.

Primary progressive MS can be further characterized at different points in time as either active (with an occasional relapse and/or evidence of new MRI activity) or not active.

Individuals who were previously diagnosed with progressive-relapsing MS would now be considered primary progressive.

Approximately 15 percent of people with MS are diagnosed with PPMS.

Common Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Fatigue: Occurs in about 80% of people, can significantly interfere with the ability to function at home and work, and may be the most prominent symptom in a person who otherwise has minimal activity limitations.

Walking (Gait) Difficulties: Related to several factors including weakness, spasticity, loss of balance, sensory deficit and fatigue, and can be helped by physical therapy, assistive therapy and medications.

Numbness and Tingling: Numbness of the face, body, or extremities (arms and legs) is often the first symptom experienced by those eventually diagnosed as having MS.

Dizziness and Vertigo: People with MS may feel off balance or lightheaded, or — much less often — have the sensation that they or their surroundings are spinning (vertigo).

Spasticity: Refers to feelings of stiffness and a wide range of involuntary muscle spasms; can occur in any limb, but it is much more common in the legs.

Weakness: Weakness in MS, which results from deconditioning of unused muscles or damage to nerves that stimulate muscles, can be managed with rehabilitation strategies and the use of mobility aids and other assistive devices.

Vision Problems: The first symptom of MS for many people. Onset of blurred vision, poor contrast or color vision, and pain on eye movement can be

frightening — and should be evaluated Sexual Problems: Very common in the general population including people with MS. Sexual responses can be affected by damage in the central nervous system, as well by symptoms such as fatigue and spasticity, and by psychological factors.promptly.

Bladder Problems: Bladder dysfunction, which occurs in at least 80% of people with MS, can usually be managed quite successfully with medications, fluid management, and intermittent self-catheterization.

Bowel Problems: Constipation is a particular concern among people with MS, as is loss of control of the bowels. Bowel issues can typically be managed through diet, adequate fluid intake, physical activity and medication.

Cognitive Changes: Refers to a range of high-level brain functions affected in more than 50% of people with MS, including the ability to process incoming information, learn and remember new information, organize and problem-solve, focus attention and accurately perceive the environment.

Emotional Changes: Can be a reaction to the stresses of living with MS as well as the result of neurologic and immune changes. Significant depression, mood swings, irritability, and episodes of uncontrollable laughing and crying pose significant challenges for people with MS and their families.problem-solve, focus attention and accurately perceive the environment.

Depression: Studies have suggested that clinical depression — the severest form of depression — is among the most common symptoms of MS. It is more common among people with MS than it is in the general population or in persons with many other chronic, disabling conditions.

How To Overcome Competition – A twist on Tony Robinson’s lesson from David and Goliath

Do you ever feel like David fighting Goliath? The story of David and Goliath is one of the biblical stories that Tony Robinson – and I – have loved since childhood. It is a story of how a little shepherd boy defeated a famous fully armed giant warrior. Tony has used this story to illustrate how to overcome what may feel like insurmountable obstacles in business in several of his blog posts. Here’s a twist on three of those points:

#1 —BE PREPARED FOR COMPETITION:

If you stay ready, then you don’t ever have to get ready. A competitor is always just around the corner – there will always be competition – but anticipating competition is the only way to divert a devastating fall.

David stayed ready by daily training – consistent and continually talking with God. This enabled him to intentionally put trust in God before fear of Goliath.

Keep ready – know who is out there and what they’re doing. Know how they are selling what they do. But don’t get so caught up in the competition that it makes you fearful or distracts you. Focus on consistently, daily, continually doing what you need to to be your best.

#2 – ANTICIPATE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY:

Be alert to changes in technology. Be ready to upgrade if it makes sense for your business but stay with what works if it doesn’t. There was a time when having a Garmin GPS device meant you were ahead of the curve technology-wise. But soon cellular phone technology started to advance and that same GPS technology was already included on our phone. Garmin GPS could very easily have gone out of business, but they were able to innovate and create other useful products to stay afloat.

Saul wanted David to be ahead of the curve technology-wise. He gave him the best armor he had to beat Goliath. David tried it but decided he’d be better off by sticking with his sling and 5 stones.

Always anticipate change in technology; always know what the latest innovation is and be ready to implement it. Then evaluate and decide if it will give you an edge or if you are better off sticking with your sling and 5 stones.

#3 – FOCUS: STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE

Most businesses have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on improving and mastering our core competencies. Instead, we get distracted by trying to fulfill the many different wants and needs of our customers. We can get spread so thin we end up being a “Jack of all trades and master of none”.

David knew who he was – a shepherd – and focused all his time and energy on developing those skills. Because he mastered the core competencies of being a shepherd he had a platform he was able to draw from when new challenges arose.

Know your core competencies and master the basis. By doing so, you will build a solid platform from which you can expand upon and return to.